Stealing Moments
by YelyahFran
Summary: Unrelated Clintasha oneshots based on my favorite songs. Mostly punk rock. I swear, they're so much better than they sound. "What are we Clint?" He shrugged. "Thieves sealing moments, never wanting to get caught."
1. Cherry Blossoms

**HEY GUYS! So I really want to write some Clintasha and I suddenly had an idea. So yeah, I shall now put them into action.**

**So these chapters are all just unrelated oneshots based on some of my favorite songs. Some songs will be about Clint and Natasha themselves while the others will be about experiences I just made up.**

**Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own Clint, Natasha, The Avengers, Even If She Falls by Blink-182 or anything other than the plot.**

_"Like a ferris wheel, full of blue-green eyes. And a heart of steel, always on her own, almost never real."_

_"And she was, like a blade of ice, like a lonely road, clear as day, alive. Always sharp and cold, always beautiful. I am such a fool."_

_-Even If She Falls, Blink-182_

He watched over her from his perch as he did every night. Usually they'd talk before either of them fell asleep. She'd say something first and he would answer, merely a voice in the dark of night.

Tonight was one of those nights. After a good deal of training in the closed off little training room on their special little floor on Stark Tower, they both took refreshing showers, ate dinner with the others on the top floor and decided to turn in early.

They had always been like that. They had that unspoken agreement that they'd be each others faithful watchers. When one was angry and blew off steam in the training room, the other was looming right outside in the hall. When one of them was sleeping in, the other would just watch over them and wait, not minding their hunger. When one was asleep, they'd watch them until they fell asleep. The times when neither of them could, they'd just talk.

She was under the blanket of the large bed. It was large enough for them to share without knowing the other was even there. But of course they always knew. Even if it was large, they'd always stay close, always within arms reach, enough distance so they could wake the other during a nightmare.

When they woke up from the nightmare, the other would do something to reassure them. She would whisper words in his ear and he would repeatedly run his hands through her red hair and hold her close. She was better with words than him.

He stayed on his perch until he was tired or when she started thrashing and muttering. She would stare up at his perch until she heard a difference in his breathing patterns or saw him sweating.

He heard her sigh. It didn't worry him. He knew that sigh all too well. She was remembering something. "What are you thinking about?" He asked, voice clear.

Thry both knew that she heard him. "Nat?" He asked, tone gentle yet curious at th same time. He has a way of doing that to her. Making his tone just right so that she says things she wouldn't.

She sighed again. She stayed quiet for a while. _Baltimore, _he thought to himself. _Just like Baltimore._

* * *

He remembered a time, just a couple of years back, when he sat at the foot of the bed they shared in a hotel after a mission in Baltimore.

She would sigh, but never speak. Both of them were closed off, but in different ways. He had a certain solemn and thoughtful silence. She had a thoughtful one as well, but it was the kind that you wouldn't dare break.

Anyway, he sat at the foot of the bed in the hotel room in Baltimore. He asked her what was on her mind. She answered back with a sharp cold tone.

He loved that about her. Well, among other things. He loved the way it didn't hurt when she used that tone on him. To him, it was a challenge. It told him to pry.

Eventually, she'd cracked. She told him lots of things that night. Her childhood, her past dreams. When he asked her what her dreams were that time, she just smiled. "Being here with you suits me just fine Barton."

* * *

"What's on your mind?" He said and she looked up at his perch. Moonlight seeped in through the curtains and both could not focus on anything obvious, merely those small details.

She looked at him, face blank. "Remember Japan? That time we sat under the cherry blossom tree after the mission?"

Oh yes, that was one of his favorites. He loved to bring up at that memory over and over again. Cherry blossoms falling from above them, making her look like an angel or a bride. She was a fairytale then, something he'd made up in his mind, he had told himself over and over again.

He nodded. "What about it Nat?" He replied and she smiled at him. She looked like a fairytale again with the certain curve of her lips and the beautiful waves of her hair. But he could have gone down and held her, and she would be solid, real. She was still Natasha.

"Nothing." She said. "Just popped up. Cherry blossoms have always been our sign of hope."

These times always surprised him. In front of everyone else, she was a sharp quickwitted woman who only trusted one person in the entire planet. That one person sometimes forgot that all of that was smoke and mirrors. That person in front of him, laying in bed, her, that was the real Natasha.

"Yeah, they have." He said. "If I ever got the chance, I don't think I'd go back to Japan, Tasha."

"Why?" She questioned. The hidden question, "Why not?", hidden in her voice amused him.

He smiled at her. "Because I want to remember Japan that same way forever."

He knew he was in love. The first time he realized it, he was in the middle of releasing an arrow. The only time he ever missed in 5 years. But he had gotten used to knowing it. There wasn't much he could do about it.

Even if she fell in love, which he highly doubted, there would be too many strings attached, too much difficulty. He liked it this way. Loving her from a distance, no matter how short the distance was.

He liked this. Loving her without her even noticing. He was sure she loved him too. Just not the way he loved her.

"Come to bed." She said, voice quiet. She did that sometimes, asked him to be there so that she'd know waking up was worth it.

He jumped down from his perch and climbed in with her. When he was beside her, a small smile graced her lips and he lay, back faced away from her.

As he lay there, eyes closed, he felt a hand on his chin, turning his head. A pair of warm soft lips pressed onto his. A sweet meaningful kiss. Not light, not deep.

He turned and they both layon their sides, facing each other. "What was that for Tasha?" He asked.

She shrugged. "For Japan I guess."

And for once, they slept facing each other.

**I was going for something cute and serious at the same time. Did I do it? REVIEW SO I CAN BE INSPIRED TO WRITE MORE. Oh, and listen to Even If She Falls by Blink-182. Everything will make more sense then.**


	2. Thieves

**Y'all hated it, didn't ya? No matter. I'll keep writing 'cause this ship is something a girl who loves broken and dark things could dream about. No stopping me now.**

**Okay, this is set in that part during the battle after Clint says, "Captain, it'd be my genuine pleasure." Yeah, I hope y'all remember that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers or the beautiful song, Find A Way, by Safetysuit. I so badly want to do a cover of it.**

_"You know I'm gonna find a way to let you have your way with me. You know I'm gonna find a time to catch your hand and make you stay. I don't care what clothes you wear, it's time to love and I don't care. You know I'm gonna find a way to let you have your way with me. And if I was running, you'd be the one who I would be running to. And if I was crying you would be lining, the cloud that would pull me through."_

_-Find A Way, Safetysuit_

The Chitauri were momentarily gone. They both knew they had about three minutes at the most to do or say whatever they wanted. And they both knew that that definitely wasn't enough.

They wished their lives weren't an action movie gone wrong. But of course, they both believed in destiny. They both knew they were led there, no matter how crazy it sounded. And damn it all if they weren't.

They hid behind the cab, catching their breaths. Clint looked at her as she took those deep breaths. Her red hair was all disheveled, but her beauty didn't fade. It never did, just as her wit didn't either.

"You're drinking me under the table after this." At this, she laughed a little. "If there is an after of course."

He just couldn't help saying it, but both of them never really learned to hold their tongue. A snarky comment there, an insult or pun here.

She turned her head to look at him as they sat there. "How optimistic Barton." Natasha said sarcastically and he chuckled.

His expression was suddenly serious. She bit her lip and he sighed. "We're going to make it out of this you know. Believe me, at least one of us will make it." He told her.

"And if we don't?" She asked. That was like a punch in the gut to Clint. The full force of the realization hit him. He could lose Natasha. He didn't want to die and let her live. No, he wasn't being a selfish ass. He knew she'd be unmade if he was gone. She'd be miserable if he died. He did the most damage dead. If the topic weren't so darn serious, he'd have laughed at the thought.

"Clint?" She said, her voice a soft plea, like the way he'd said her name when he'd just broken free of Loki. The plea brought him back to reality.

He put his hands on the sides of her face. His calloused, perfect hands. And for a while, they forgot there was a war going on around them as he caressed her face.

"I wish our possibly last real moment together was somewhere more... romantic." He admitted. He would have chosen that bench in Japan or the safehouse in Budapest.

She took one of his hands and kissed it. "Then we wouldn't be Natasha and Clint, Black Widow and Hawkeye." She replied. She recalled the first time they did all those things couples did. Kiss, hug, other unmentionable things. They had all been in dark corners, never in a comfortable little room.

They had that moment. They clung onto it like dear life. The world be damned, they had something much bigger to fight for.

He kissed her, sweet and passionate. He loved the taste of blood and something completely her own on those soft plump lips of hers.

She sighed into the kiss and when it was over, she said things she would only ever say to him. "When this is over, we'll finally find a way to be together. We'll keep the secrecy, but we'll be together. I won't be a coward. I'm not running away.

She didn't say anything about why she'd gone and taken all those solo missions after that night he woke up with a note on his pillow telling him she was sorry.

She needed so badly to clear her head. She feared all those possibilities, the biggest one being love. She didn't know how to love. As she had said, love was for children. She knew that with Clint, she was little more than a child. He was her everything, and she hated that fact becase she was no lovesick teenager.

But she knew it that very moment. It wasn't love. Love was a term, something for people who married and needed a ring as proof of committment. They didn't need it. They were the only people who needed to know they were committed. Love was for children.

"We'll be everything." He vowed. "Friends, lovers, partners. Anything you want, anything that makes you happy."

She smiled at him, small but rare and genuine. "What are we Clint?"

He shrugged. "We're thieves, stealing moments, never wanting to get caught."

She couldn't help kissing him after that. The description was so perfect and accurate. She wanted to cry and laugh and just get out of there, go to Budapest or Tokyo maybe. Hell, she'd even have taken Lebanon.

Then they heard it again.

He sighed. Time to get back to work.

* * *

As she rode on that Chitauri, Clint couldn't help but think about how he might not be able to fulfill his promises to her. Those promises he'd made and would have kept.

So when they were seeing Thor and Loki the war criminal off, he couldn't help but smile when she'd whispered, "Ready for me to drink you under the table?"

They got into the car and he smiled as he put his hands on the wheel. "Oh, I'm ready Nat."

The car was silent for a while. "There's still time to back out you know. In case you want to." He told her and she was still.

"I'm not scared." She said quietly, almost like a whisper. "I'm not going to be a coward. We're ditching this place this instant."

"Why?" He asked. It was one word, but it was a very complicated question.

She looked at him. "I want to be wrong tonight. I want to break our code... and be alive for once."

"But why me?" He questioned her. Of all the people she could choose, why him? Why her partner, the one person who couldn't give her a normal relationship?

"You saved me." She said. "Spared my life, tended my wounds, made sure I wouldn't fail, had my back, protected me. Hell, I'm thankful you didn't just run away. You're the only person I can be with."

That was a good enough explanation for him so he buckled his seatbelt. "I'm keeping my promise. What will we be?"

She smiled at him, not her usual casual smirk. "Thieves."

**Sorry it's not long. And not good. Please review though. I swear the next one will be better. It's based on Everything I Ask For by The Maine which perfectly describes this relationship in Clint's point of view. Listen to it and guess what I'll write about next. I'm really looking forward to it.**


	3. Making Memories

**Yay, it's time to use the song I have really wanted to use since I started writing Clintasha. It's beautiful and describes Clint's relationship with Natasha so perfectly. And to sibunagirl-0331, yes, I am both. I am a nightmare, the bad writer you're parents warned you about. Lol, k. And DCdreamer55, I love your pic. ONCE UPON A TIME IS BEAUTIFUL.**

**Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own The Avengers and Everything I Ask For by The Maine. OMT, you people need to hear this song. It's just... oh dear. I do not own the other songs and lyrics I mention either.**

_"She wears red when she's feeling hot. I have her but it's all I got. She looks best without her clothes. I know it's wrong but that's the way it goes. I don't know what she sees in me."_

_"Oh she makes me feel like shit, but I can't get over it. 'Cause she's everything I ask for, everything I ask for, and just a little bit more. Everything I ask for, everything I ask for and so much more."_

_"She's not big on holding hands, but that's alright 'cause I still got her. She keeps up on current affairs."_

_"Fist fights turn into sex, I wonder what comes next. She loves to always keeps me guessin', and she won't give it up, and we both know it's because..."_

_-Everything I Ask For, The Maine_

An arrow here, an arrow there. A slash here, a punch there. Clint was grateful for he had the definition of a peaceful morning all to himself in Stark Tower.

No one had come up to see him in the training room on his and Natasha's floor. Even with the patience of a saint and nun combined, Clint was deadly and would certainly not hesitate to shoot an arrow at anyone who tried to get close enough. He wasn't a master assassin for nothing.

He wasn't worried about Natasha. Lately, she'd been setting up all these little games where he'd have to find her. A different game every day, but always ending the same way. They'd spar and he'd lose on purpose so both could have what they really wanted.

He knew Natasha was bored to death. This was her way of having fun, her little games that they both enjoyed so. She'd always come out on top and Clint would let her because he wanted it just as much as he did.

The first week they spent at Stark Tower, Natasha would sit on the bench and read a book as he trained. Sometimes, she'd watch him, mesmerized by his movements as he was with hers. But usually, she joined him instead.

It had stopped on the second day of the second week. They still had a third week to take a break. Natasha was tired of Cap's lame attempts at making them bond, but she appreciated them all the same. They did that in an unplanned fashion because that was just how Tony worked.

Just as he shot an arrow without even looking behind him, a beloved trick that impressed many, his SHIELD issued phone beeped. He chuckled at the ringtone Natasha had set. Of course it was Purple Rain by Prince. For calls, he was sure as hell that it was Stand & Deliver by No Doubt. He knew he shouldn't have permitted Natasha to set it for him.

He checked the phone he'd left on the table. He smiled and shook his head upon seeing the message.

From: Nat

You love seeing me in red, don't you? Especially in the moonlight of Pittsburgh.

"Game on Hot Sauce." He muttered before putting down his bow.

* * *

He opened her closet. She never really minded. He picked out her clothes sometimes actually, especially when she was in a hurry. Just as long as he didn't look in the bottom drawer, he had Natasha's consent.

Clint found the dress he'd been looking for. All the memories behind that one dress. That red off the shoulder silk dress that swept the floor reminded them of the night that changed the two assassins' lives forever.

* * *

They'd been in Pennsylvania. They'd been partners for around three years by then. Best friends and partners. He was the only person she trusted and she was a blessing that he'd permitted to enter his life.

Natasha was undercover as Clarissa Stern, a hotel heiress, attending a charity gala with her friend, Jake Dale who was really Clint. The mission was to get a man called Allen Morgen's phone from his jacket pocket. He was proven to have taken the lives of five SHIELD agents because of a grudge. Of course, SHIELD couldn't just turn a blind eye, especially since it was also proven that he used their bodies for certain... experiments.

The plan was for Clarissa to make sure that Mr. Morgen wouldn't have a drink until the two of them spoke. Then, she'd ask Jake to get her a drink and he'd ask if Mr. Morgen would like one as well. Mr. Morgen would surely say yes and he'd slip some slow-acting poison into his drink while Clarissa would flirt, steal his phone and place a tracking device on his jacket. He'd be dead by morning.

Of course, things had gone as planned.

The two couldn't leave early. Too suspicious. So they stayed in an empty quiet room with a large window that let in a lot of moonlight couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked in red, how the moonlight brought out a certain shine in her eye. "Tash?" He said.

She turned her head to look at the handsome man beside him. "Hmm...?" She said, every perfect detail brought out by the moonlight.

He kissed her then. No love, only passion, he convinced himself. He knew that Natasha thought that love was for children, he didn't bring it up.

She'd kissed back. An answer to a question. She pulled away and smiled a little at him. "Another thing in the list of secrets we'll never tell." She'd said.

She put her head on his shoulder, burying herself in the crook of his neck. Her hair smelled like the coconut shampoo they both loved so much, a familiar scent, all her own.

He was perfectly content.

* * *

So as Clint stared at the dress, he couldn't help missing the taste of her lips. She was sweet and bitter like coffee which both of them lived on.

He found the post-it on the hanger and smiled to himself. "Watching... waiting..." He read out loud. He knew exactly where to look next.

Clint went up to his nest. He remembered the first time she'd ever said his first name.

* * *

She trusted him, trusted him with her life. So why is it that she never said his first name?

She was being too professional about it. They were partners, friends even, but she distanced herself as she always did. To her, they were merely co-workers, no matter how special a bond they had.

They'd just come back from a mission in Maryland where a bullet had grazed Clint's cheek. He refused to let doctors care for him. He'd let Natasha do that.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they passed by his room.

"My nest." He replied as he continued to walk along. She'd seen him in his nest many times. They'd been partners for no longer than a year and a half. He spent most of his time in his nest, watching over everything that was going on.

He trusted her. She would be the cause of his death, directly or indirectly, he knew that for sure. All the same, he trusted her. It had taken time for them to earn each others trust, but did it matter? Results were the same.

But no one but him had ever gone to his little nest. People came close, but it was only to call them or give a message. She never went up there. Too personal.

So as she climbed up the ladder to his nest, she couldn't help but feel like she was trespassing, invading. Of course she'd broken into places before, but this was different. It was an invitation given to the blind.

There was a first aid kit there, and as Natasha cleaned his wound, he couldn't help but watch her fingers flutter like butterflies. Her fingers did more than just cause pain. They could take then away too.

"Natasha?" He said. He knew very well that she preferred being called Widow or Agent Romanoff, but he insisted on it all the same. This time, she let it slide.

"What's wrong Agent Barton?" She asked him, continuing to clean the wound with antiseptic.

"How many times have I told you to call me Clint?" He didn't say it angrily. He voiced it like a simple question knowing there'd be a less simple answer.

She sighed. "Agent Barton, we are partners. No more, no less." She replied. He pouted playfully, the type of pout that made Natasha cross her arms over her chest.

"Friends? Aren't we friends Widow?" He said and she smirked the way she did when he made such jokes. The type of jokes that made her as playful as he did.

"No matter how unlikely it may seem for a hawk and a spider to become friends, yes, I do believe we are." She said and Clint nodded in approval. It was no vow of eternal love but it was definitely progress.

He gave her a look as she put the antiseptic back in the first aid kit. "Then call me Clint."

She looked at him, eyes not playful, but deep, as if deciding something. It was a look he'd never seen on her face before, not once crossing her porcelain features.

She shook her head and grabbed the rope used to slide down. "Good night," She paused for a moment and smiled a bit. "Clint."

He liked it very much, the way she said his name. It made it sound like the most beautiful thing in the world. The way she said every letter so perfectly made him feel out of control but powerful. He discovered as time passed that she could say is name different ways. She could make it sound like a plea. Sometimes, it sounded like a call. And most of the time, it just sounded like... Natasha. And he loved that, he loved that very much.

Over the years, Clint let Natasha come and go as she pleased. He liked to spend time with her there, somewhere quiet, peaceful, where they could just watch over everything together. They would dangle their legs off of the edge and she'd put her head on his shoulder. When she was in the mood for talking, they'd lean against each other, back to back.

* * *

He saw the note, sitting there. He picked it up. It read, "Budapest, sweet Budapest."

He went up to the roof where Tony's private jet was. He went inside as he remembered Budapest, a clear image in his head.

* * *

They were on their way to their safe house in Budapest. It had been a rough battle inside the warehouse, many large men waiting for them. They'd been planning to kill a man who was just a decoy after all. They extracted all information from the minions and they'd taken turns shooting arrows and throwing knives.

As they waited for the jet, they sat there, living among the dead. Natasha might as well have been dead. She was tired enough, close to collapsing.

She leaned against Clint for support. He was not as tired as she was but tired nonetheless.

Natasha traced an infinite number of patterns on his leg. She liked to do that when she was bored, when she wanted him to keep up a playful banter between them.

"You're not saying anything." She observed and he just smiled at her. He was being quiet, but he was most definitely thinking hard about anything in particular. He was just quiet. She wanted his dry sense of humour to keep her awake.

"Too busy thinking about how I'm going to get you into the jet." He replied with a smirk. She continued to trace the patterns.

She frowned. "I'm not that tired." She said in a matter-of-factly voice.

"The patterns, the leaning against my shoulder, yeah, you're most definitely not tired." He said sarcastically which made her sigh.

"I hate that you know me all to well." She didn't truly of course, but sometimes she absolutely resented it. She hated the way he knew her so well, but that always passed because she just couldn't stay angry for too long, not at him.

"_You can't have the world see you like this,_" Clint sang softly under his breath. Natasha smiled to herself. She loved that song and he knew it. She liked to listen to it when they just sat together, resting.

"_And you can't stay for more than a night._" She sang along. Those moments were always the most perfect. When they would sit together, waiting, saying anything that came to mind.

"Come November, Thriving Ivory." She said and he could hear the smile in her voice without looking at her. "We'll play it when we get back."

"If Fury spares us of course," Clint replied, ever the optimist. "Because the man just won't let us rest until we tell him everything."

Natasha sighed. "Paint my eyelids will you? I'll sleep through it." She said and he laughed, that raspy wonderful laugh of his that was the most beautiful sound to her ears.

"If you're doing it, then so am I." He said and she scoffed. She finally had that playful banter she was going for.

"Nuh uh," She replied. "Someone needs to do all the talking and it's sure as hell not going to be me. As I said, I'll be too busy sleeping."

They heard the jet. They didn't bother to send something quiet and stealthy. They got up and Clint grabbed Natasha's hand. Just as quickly a he took it, she pulled it away.

When he looked at her questioningly, she just smiled at him and kissed him with passion. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Don't worry Barton, you still got me." She said and walked away, leaving him to trail behind her.

* * *

Clint shook his head and picked up the note. "Come get your prize." He said and went to the training room.

Back where he started, she saw Natasha, back turned to him, on the mats. She was wearing a white tank top and olive green shorts. That sight made him want to give up already, but he knew Natasha wouldn't like that very much.

He quietly snuck up on her. He put his hands on her waist and he saw the smirk that had made its way upon her face. "Got you."

He pinned her to the ground. He's right above her and her back is on the ground. She kicked the back of his head, making him end up sprawled on the floor beside her. She flipped over him and ended up on his other side. "I think I got you Barton."

He rolled over, groaning, making her think he was really hurt. Before she processes anything, he's already up, holding her hands behind her back. She growled and this made him bite his lip. "Oh Tasha, this game's getting boring."

He helped her stand up, hands still behind her back. She turned around and sighed, giving up. She quickly put her hand at the base of his neck, pulling him down to her. She smashed their lips together. He sighed into it as she wrapped her legs around him.

Time to make more memories.

**AT LAST. I had so much fun writing this. And if anyone notices where the names from Pittsburgh came from, I OFFICIALLY LOVE YOU. Lol. Whatever. This might not be very good though. Okay, review and yeah, see y'all soon!**

**Next song: This Can't Be Healthy by Anarbor**


	4. Unwanted

**Sorry I haven't updated recently. It was my birthday last Saturday and tomorrow I'm going to Bazooka Rocks. MAYDAY PARADE, FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS AND THE MAINE, HELL YES! So excited. Yeah, so I was so excited that I got this idea. And no, I will not be using This Can't Be Healthy by Anarbor yet. Sorry. But because tomorrow Is Bazooka, I'll be using a different song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Avengers and Oh Well, Oh Well by Mayday Parade. SO BEAUTIFUL.**

"_When you're alone, do you think of me? And my diamond ring's thrown out to sea. And when you love, do you love for me? Like harmony, a never ending dream."  
"Oh well, oh well. I still hope for the best. Say goodbye and send me off with a kiss farewell. And I promise I'll be just as strong as I can be. Maybe you could get some sleep tonight."  
"And I'll just smile, and make believe I don't feel a thing. That doesn't work for me."  
"And I'll be what you need, you can call me anything. Just as long as we're still friends."  
"When she smiles, well it's got nothing to do with me. I'm not the one who sings her to sleep."  
"Tell your new friends that no one knows you like I do. It's over. I wanna see you again. I wanna feel it again."  
"I'll keep you warm safe in my arms. 'Till heaven calls, keep holding on."  
-Oh Well, Oh Well, Mayday Parade_

He was a dead man. He knew that the moment he stepped out of the elevator. The air seemed much too cold to be welcoming. That and the fact that he was greeted by glares and cold hard stares didn't help much either.

Pepper didn't bother to look at him. She leaned against the couch, tapping away on her Blackberry. He was currently an unbearable sight to her.

He cleared his throat and she looked at him, eyes hard and cold. They said, "How dare you drag your ass back here you life ruining son of a bitch?" He couldn't help but ask himself the same thing. But that didn't really matter.

"She told you, didn't she?" He said and Steve shook his head. He couldn't help but admire her. She hadn't broken just yet. He wasn't surprised either though. She'd always been strong. Especially when it came to him. She was probably looking at everything as another test, a lesson.

"She was acting differently," Bruce said. "So we called Fury to see what was going on. It was pretty shocking considering the fact no one could have anticipated it."

He sighed and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "You do know what you've done, don't you?" Tony said. "Unless, you know, you were having a total mental block when you did it like we're all expecting you to say. Not that we'd believe you all the same."

Pepper shot Tony a glare that shut him up quickly. She diverted her cold hard gaze back on him just as fast. "Point is, you're not currently welcome here. Please leave before we have you thrown out."

He raised an eyebrow that made them all tense. They had no doubt in their mind that he'd put up quite a fight before throwing him out. "Well, it doesn't matter much whether or not I'm welcome here. I'm just looking for her."

Steve laughed, cold and humourless. "You think we'd tell you? After all that you've done to her?" Steve told him and shook his head. "You're crazy."

"I came here to see if I can make things right, not to argue with you guys." He said and a heavy sigh escaped his lips once more. "You're making it difficult for me."

"Well, you're too late for that." Pepper told him. He knew he was. When it came to her, he was always late. He never could quite get the timing right when it came to her.

"The maiden is rather angered by your actions." Thor said, standing up, deciding to join in on the little discussion. "We rarely see her. She seems rather devestated."

Steve laughed, no humor in it. "She's more than devestated." He said, diverting his cold gaze back to him. "She's barely alive."

"At least give me an opportunity to make things right again." He said, voice pleading. Pepper gave him a cold look, searching his eyes for something that wasn't there. Pepper faced Tony and nodded before leaving the room quickly, heels echoing.

"She's in the bar across the street." Tony said. "Legolas, I don't know if you were suffering through some serious mental issues that time, but if you don't defuse the bomb that is Charlotte, we are all going to pay for it."

"Oh you have no idea." He muttered under his breath.

Unloved. Unwanted. A charity case. The words ran through her mind as she continued to drink her third vodka soda.

She was in a crummy run down bar. It wasn't the ideal place for one to drink their sorrows away, but they had vodka soda and that was all she really cared about. Not that she cared about anything anymore.

She wore her least favorite short midnight blue dress from her Natalie Rushman days. It perfectly brought out her figure but neither she nor her former partner liked the color very much. All the same, it made her a beacon to every man there. Not that she needed it with her fiery red hair. It wasn't the wisest thing, but it was what she was aiming for.

At last, a guy sat beside her. A real man would have had the courage to approach her on her second vodka soda. But it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. At least there was someone.

"Hey." He greeted her with a smile and drank from his glass of scotch. She was never fond of it.

She smiled back at him prettily. "Hi." She said. "No one's come around my way. Nice to see someone finally got the courage to."

His smile widened. "I'm Markus. Care if I keep you company…?"

"Natalie." She replied. "Natalie Rushman. I was wondering if you know, you could keep me somewhere else?" The glint in her eyes gave away her every intention. She could have kept it away, hidden it, but she didn't want to. She wanted him to see it.

"I'd be happy to." He said. "I'll be back in a minute then I can keep you company wherever you want me to."

When he was gone, her smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. She drank some of her vodka. It burned on its way down. It was a welcome feeling.

"Nice to see you're taste hasn't changed." The voice almost made her spit out her vodka. He'd always been the only man who could ever sneak up on her. He was just that good.

She turned around, face completely impassive. Her mask was on. She would never give in. She doubted he'd beg or do anything completely drastic to make her forgive him for what he'd done but if he did, she wouldn't really care unless he died in the process.

"What?" She said, venom dripping from her words. It made him wince. She'd never said anything like that to him that way. Never. He didn't like how it sounded. It made him feel as if he'd already lost everything.

"Can I at least explain?" He said and she laughed icily before downing the rest of her drink. He knew that while she may not have been completely sober, she was sane. At least as sane as she could ever get. Everyone knew that she was as unstable as he was.

"Too late." She said, raising her glass then putting it back down. "What's there to explain?"

Markus came back and she smiled that fake smile that no one except him could ever really see through. It was like she'd punched him in the gut, seeing her smile like that for someone else.

"Ready to go?" Markus had said and noticed him staring intently. Eyes can be so very expressive, can they not? "Is he distrubing you Natalie?" He turned back to him. "Who are you anyway?"

Before Markus had known it, a fist had connected with his face. She didn't react to the scene that played out before her eyes. Scenes like this had played before her many times before. It wasn't new to her, but it wasn't something she was used to either.

She stared at the figure sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. "You didn't need to do that." She said, quiet and not looking at him.

He looked at her. "What the hell are you talking about? Yes, I did." He insisted. "If I didn't, you'd hurt yourself. I don't like seeing you get hurt. I hate it so much and I don't think you remember that."

She scoffed. "If only you'd seen me when you'd done what you'd done." She said and shook her head. "I don't know what I did but I don't care anymore. I don't want to know."

She walked away quickly, leaving behind a stunned man and a guy sprawled on a dirty bar floor. He followed at least 5 seconds later but that was much too late. She'd disappeared.

She was a ghost. Here one moment, gone the next. By the time he'd gotten to Stark Tower, he knew he'd only gotten there in the nick of time. She was storming into their room and about to lock the door when he'd stopped it with his own foot.

He grabbed her wrist and he suddenly felt angry even if he knew he shouldn't have been. He was sure that she now considered their bedroom as only her own. "Talk to me!" He yelled, losing his temper and his patience with her.

She gave him an incredelous look, one of complete shock. She pried his fingers from her wrist and he backed away from her. "You're not going to make me take the blame. You know none of this is my fault." She growled at him. "God, I'm so stupid."

His gaze softened "You're not stupid. You know that." He said and she huffed. She was always so disbelieving that way.

"Yes, I am." She told him. "I trusted you, I believed in you, and what do you do to me? You trade me away!" Her voice rose up into another yell. "You treat me like a pet project. When someone better came along, you traded me away."

"I didn't trade you away and you know it." He said and she shook her head. She looked absolutely hopeless.

"If that's not it, then whatever it is, does it really matter? Deed's done and I just don't care anymore." She said. "You had no right at all to punch that guy in the bar. You have no right to protect me anymore. We're not partners anymore and as far as I'm concerned, we're not friends. That makes you absolutely nothing but a distant memory."

She stormed back into the room and locked the door before he could do anything. Not that he was going to. He was much too shocked for that.

He was rooted to the spot. She was right. What right did he have to beg for forgiveness? What right did he have to protect her? He had no right left and it was heartbreaking.

There was nothing left.

Tears ran down her face. Like she had said many times over, it didn't matter anymore. It felt good and she knew tears were useful. They could be used for acting, for pity that she pretended to want. This was one of the many times she just wanted to cry it all away. She never let herself, but this time was an exception. The tears reminded her that she was alive, living in her bittersweet reality.

Her back was faced away from the door when she heard the door open and shut. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, the way a child would. But she was not a child, not capable of love. So what was she?

"Tash." He said, voice barely a whisper and a rogue tear ran down her cheek. He knew she loved the way he did that. Called her those little nicknames that way and make her feel like she had a friend in the world. Now, she hated it. She had no friend in the world left.

"Don't call me that." She said in that cringeworthy way of hers. "And go away. I don't want you around. Please just go."

He sat on the edge of the bed, making it sink in that familiar way that she liked. She wanted to hate it, but she couldn't. "I just wanted to say bye." He said, voice sounding like he couldn't say another word.

She sat up. She looked at him. "You're leaving?" She said and her voice broke both their hearts a little. "I guess you're never coming back then."

He shrugged. "Not unless the world or Fury calls me back in, no." He said and the answer made her look down, not being able to bear how terrible her life had become.

"If we're not going to see each other anymore," She told him and sighed. "Then I at least owe you an explanation to everything. Even if I know you should go first, I need to tell you some stuff first."

He nodded and she took it as a sign to begin her story. "I got a call from Fury. He said you wanted to end our partnership. He said we could discuss it at HQ in two days. We did. It was all so businesslike and formal. But I didn't want to hear it. I wanted to hear it all from you." She told him.

"I was on my way out when I saw you in the infirmary. There was this beautiful blonde girl patching you up, the way I would." She said and he knew who she was talking about. "I asked about her and they all told me her name was Bobbi, your new partner. Got someone to keep tabs on you and they told me you were doing good. Not as good as you would with me, but good all the same."

"I gave up after that. I guessed it was the end of it all. I went to your room to leave a note saying goodbye, but instead I found a love note from the Bobbi girl. Couldn't take it so I just ran away, taking my own note with me." She finished her story and he remembered the love note Bobbi had left. He pretended not to have gotten it so nothing would change.

He looked at her as she wiped away more tears. "I'm sorry." He told her. "I wasn't thinking about what you'd do. Guess I have a lot to make up for?"

She laughed a bit and he smiled. "Oh, you think?" She said and she looked at him, face all seriousness. "Can you at least tell me why Clint?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I wanted to leave because it just seemed like if I left, then I'd begin to forget. Forget the pain and everything Loki did. Pretend like I never hurt you."

Her lower lip quivered. "Did your little plan work then?" She asked looking down again and he decided whether or not to answer.

"Yes." He said quietly. He'd always been so honest with her and sometimes, it wasn't always such a good thing. "I guess it has."

She nodded and tears began to fall again. She wiped them away once more and looked at him, a small genuine smile on her face. "Then I'm happy for you." She said. "I guess this is goodbye then. For now at least. We can still be friends after this, can't we?"

He smiled at her and nodded. "Yeah, I think we can." He said and she closed her eyes, content at last. "Yeah, I want to be."

He kissed her quickly before she could open her eyes. It was everything he felt. It was his sorry, his goodbye. Too fast, he got up and walked away, leaving her there wondering and wiping away her tears.

She was in her room with a bowl of coconut milk flavored ice cream and the second season of Dexter on TV. She was on a bit of a break. It had been two months since she'd last had a partner and she'd had a couple of missions. It wasn't the same and it didn't feel as good, but she had to get used all the same.

The team had been happy to have gotten her back. She wasn't the same person, but she resembled her very much and they at least had that. They were no longer angry at him either and this made her a little happy.

She hadn't seen him since he'd kissed her and the very thought of seeing him again made her heart clench. It felt like thinking of the childhood friend you'd never see again.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" She yelled before putting the spoon in her mouth. She didn't really care who saw her in a tank top and pajama shorts.

"Miss me?" A voice said from the doorway. Her head quickly turned and she ran over to him before he could even react. She hugged him quickly, arms wrapping around him. He returned the hug, breathing her in.

She let go and he was thinking that it was much too soon. "What are you doing here? Didn't tell me you were coming." She said with a genuine smile.

"Fury thought that I wasn't doing too good with my new partner." He said. "Asked me if I wanted a new one. I told him I wanted my old one back."

She gave him a look and he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and when they pulled away, their foreheads leaned against each other. "You'll always be the only one Nat."

**I almost cried in the process of writing this. Words always move me. Sorry about all those quotes from Oh Well, Oh Well. It's just such a beautiful song. Will also write one about Forever the Sickest Kids so that I can complete my Bazooka thing. SO EXCITED TO SEE MAYDAY PARADE, THE MAINE AND FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS TOMORROW. Oh yeah.**


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